Receiver

## Receiver Receiver

**The receiver** is a vessel used to collect distilled liquids or sublimed solids from distillation or sublimation apparatus. The receiver is positioned at the outlet of the alembic beak or retort neck, collecting the condensed vapors that flow out. Receivers could be simple flasks or bottles, or more elaborate vessels designed for specific purposes: multiple receivers could be arranged in series to collect different fractions, or receivers could be cooled to improve condensation. The receiver's design and placement were crucial for successful distillation, as improper collection could result in loss of valuable products.

Alchemists used various types of receivers depending on the operation. For simple distillations, a flask positioned under the alembic beak sufficed. For fractional distillation (separating components with different boiling points), multiple receivers could be used, changing receivers as different fractions came over. For collecting highly volatile substances, receivers could be cooled with water or ice. For operations producing corrosive vapors, receivers had to be made from resistant materials. The connection between the distillation apparatus and the receiver had to be properly sealed to prevent loss of vapors, but also had to allow for changing receivers when needed.

The receiver represents the vessel of collection and preservation, the container that receives and holds the purified product of the alchemical operation. In symbolic terms, the receiver collects the purified spirit that has ascended from the body, the quintessence that has been extracted from gross matter, or the philosophical mercury that has been prepared from the prima materia. The receiver thus represents both the practical vessel for collecting distilled products and the symbolic vessel that receives and preserves the fruits of alchemical labor.

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